One Day, One Act of Violence
by Catygirl
Summary: It only takes one day and one act of violence to change forever the world as we know it, as well as the relationship between two members of SG-1. Have put characters but this is really a whole SGC fic.
1. Chapter 1

**Authors Note: So here is my next fan fic offering. It is complete with 12 chapters and will be posted one chapter a day over the next two weeks. However the chapters are in some cases very short - this has been deliberate in an attempt to keep the action going. I will be giving updates as I go as I think the story will need some explanation. **

**I don't own the characters merely get enjoyment out of writing about them. **

Chapter 1

Daniel dragged himself from his desk and wiped his glasses. He was getting absolutely nowhere. He looked down through the dim light to the enlarged pictures he'd made of the monuments on the planet Galinus. The script that was written on the monuments bore no resemblance to Old English, modern English, or any other language that he had on record. He could only surmise that the language had not originated on earth.

Normally this wouldn't surprise him but the people on Galinus knew that they'd come from Earth. They knew they'd come from England, or at least that's what Daniel had worked out from studying old maps of Anglo-Saxon Britain over the last few days.

Daniel sighed and reached to switch off the light. He was going around in circles and it had been too long since he'd slept. Time for some coffee and home to bed. He looked at his illuminated watch and decided that there was no point in going home; it was 0630 so he might as well crash at the mountain for a few hours.

Daniel walked along the corridor and made his way to the elevator, yawning as he went. There was no one else around and he quickly walked into the elevator and pushed the button for the commissary level. Strolling along the corridor towards the delightful smell of freshly brewed coffee, he allowed himself to consider what he had planned for the next few days.

The team were due back on base today - in a couple of hours, actually. They'd been given a few days of downtime and Jack had decided to go to the cabin to relax and he'd offered to take the rest of the team. Teal'c had unceremoniously declined. Daniel himself had claimed too much work, which was true. Then Sam had been given the offer. On reflection, Daniel was convinced that Sam would have loved to have gone with Jack but had turned him down because the others weren't going. It had made Daniel feel a little guilty but then he'd contemplated a weekend with Jack and Sam trying to avoid their issues and he was very glad he'd turned Jack's offer down.

Anyway, they were all due back at work today. Jack had called last night to confirm that Teal'c was returning from visiting Ry'ac. Sam had also called in. Daniel had no idea where she'd been but she was back in the Springs now. Teal'c was due in at 1000 Colorado time, so Daniel figured he could sleep for about 3 hours before anyone came searching for him.

He grabbed a bagel from the stand and his usual huge mug of coffee. He nodded to a few people as he wandered back to the elevator and headed up to his quarters. They weren't exactly the Ritz but he'd slept in worse places. He opened his door, undressed, grabbed his PJs, and collapsed on the bed. He'd later reflect that he should have taken his pager to bed and perhaps not have been as outspoken as he had been when he'd made sure that non-urgent tannoy announcements were not heard in the personnel quarters.

Three hours later Daniel's watch alarm vibrated on his wrist and woke him up. It had been a good sleep and he felt much better now than he had earlier and felt ready to tackle the niggling problem of an unrecognisable language. He washed in his private bathroom and put on fresh BDUs, before heading off to his office for his first, much needed cup of coffee.

As Daniel walked along the very quiet corridor and got into the elevator he was lost in his own world of thoughts, not even aware of the elevator arriving at his level. It was only as the door opened that he was shocked back to reality.

"Daniel! Where the hell have you been?"

**AN: Ok so that's Daniel, wait to see what the others have been up to and what the problem is when they all meet up together. Any reviews, comments gladly welcomed but not demanded, would obviously prefer no flames. Special thanks to my beta who helped a great deal and came up with the title. **


	2. 2 Teal'c

**Authors Note: Morning everyone, thanks for the reviews and alerts put on the story. So we found out what Daniel was up to - work, work, work. Now it's time for Teal'c. Again, I know it is short, please bear with this it will become obvious why in chapter 5. **

Chapter 2

Teal'c of Chulak had enjoyed a well-deserved break. For three days he'd spent time with his son, educating him in the ways of the Jaffa. They'd trained with Bra'tac, laughed, and simply enjoyed each other's company. He had decided that he was now in agreement with O'Neill that a 'vacation' was a good thing.

He awoke with the sun and checked his earth timepiece. He still struggled with the idea of working out what time it was without just using the sun. However, he theorised that when one spent as many hours underground as his teammates did, perhaps a timepiece was a good idea.

The alarm went off to alert him that it was time to begin the walk to the Stargate. O'Neill had timed it to the second so that he'd be able to return to Earth in time for the next SG-1 briefing. As in many things, Teal'c had come to trust O'Neill implicitly.

"Father?" The young boy's voice could be heard from across the other side of the tent.

"Yes, my son?"

"Are you leaving now?" He was trying to be brave at the thought of missing his father.

"Yes, but you will soon be seeing me again. You must continue your studies with Master Bra'tac."

"Yes, Father. Is it permitted for a warrior to miss another?" he asked quietly, while standing up from his bed of blankets.

"My son, a warrior must use all he knows to be strong." Ry'ac's face fell and Teal'c gave him a brief smile. "However, I have learned from my Tau'ri friends that strength comes in many different forms. Turn your feelings of missing me into strength and it is allowed."

Ry'ac stood up straighter, nodding at his father's words.

The watch Teal'c was wearing vibrated again and Teal'c turned to the flap in the tent. "I will be stronger for missing you as well, my son," he said without turning back and then left.

He walked out into the breaking dawn and watched as the small camp woke up. Bra'tac came out of his tent and met him in the middle beside the large fire bed.

"You are returning to the Tau'ri now," Bra'tac stated, knowing he had been unsuccessful in his attempt to keep Teal'c with the small group of rebel Jaffa.

"It is where I should be . . . for now." Teal'c bowed to his mentor and friend.

"Be well, Teal'c," Bra'tac added as they shook hands.

"I leave you the most precious thing in my life," Teal'c said solemnly. "He could not be in better care." Teal'c again bowed. He could not stay but he could also not take Ry'ac away from the life he was born to live.

Teal'c turned from the small camp and made his way into the woods. He followed the well worn path between the trees to the clearing which held the gate. The sight was breathtaking; the sun was rising directly behind the gate, causing the grey metal to shine like silver and the red centre on the DHD to throw sparkles across the stones upon which it was resting.

Daniel Jackson believed that the gate had been positioned this way for exactly this effect. He had spent many hours educating Teal'c about sites on Earth in which the position of the artefact or building was directly related to the sun. On Earth, he theorised, it was done as a way to worship the gods. Teal'c believed it could have been the same on this planet. It would take a man of strong beliefs to not think this was placed by the gods, in particular by Ra, the sun god, himself. Fortunately, Teal'c took pride in the fact that he was that man of strong beliefs.

He made his way over to the DHD and reached inside his robes for his GDO. He punched in the familiar glyphs and the 'gate sprang to life, blocking the sun from Teal'c's eyes. He typed in his code and made his way up the ramp, already missing his son but looking forward to returning to his Tau'ri friends and their fight against the Goa'uld. He walked purposefully through the 'gate but was shocked with what he found on the other side: the gate room was in the midst of complete pandemonium.

Teal'c looked up to the control room when he heard the familiar voice of Major Carter.

"Teal'c! Thank god you're back!"

**AN: So that's Teal'c, Sam next. Thanks for reading. **


	3. Sam

**Authors Note: Ok so we have seen Daniel and Teal'c now for Sam. I will add that this is a little AU - not in the reactions of characters but in that it does not stick completely to canon. For those who are a little confused this is set towards the end of season 4. Everything from season 4 has happened especially in relation to Sam and Jack. **

Chapter 3

Major Samantha Carter had not slept well the previous night and that could explain why at 0530 she was already up and about, ready to go for her morning run an hour earlier than usual. It was only just getting light and she knew that she'd have to stick to the pavements to keep safe. However, she needed to run. She desperately needed to think and running was the best way for her brain to mull over a problem.

She put on her running shoes and began the 10k trail that went around her neighbourhood and through the park. She decided she'd skip the woods and just run the circuit of the park twice. As she ran along her street at a brisk pace she thought back over the weekend trip she'd just returned from.

It had been good . . . great even! It had proven to her that she did have the self control that the Air Force demanded of their officers, but it had also posed several questions. Against her better judgement, and any sense that she usually possessed, she had gone to Minnesota with the Colonel. And it had been fantastic!

She picked up the pace as she tried to outrun the memories of the idyllic long weekend she'd just spent at the cabin. Unlike what she'd expected to happen, they hadn't jumped each other as soon as they'd arrived. They'd hired a jeep at the airport on Thursday and made the journey to his cabin. It was beautiful and she could understand why he constantly visited. They'd hiked, fished, watched movies, laughed, talked, and then talked some more – hence the questions.

By Friday night they'd decided to be open and honest about the last few months. They'd decided to well and truly bring their feelings out of THAT room. But, again, Sam had been surprised by the clinical way they'd gone through things. They'd dealt with it the military way: review past skirmishes, analyse the position they were in right now, and then plan the best way to attack.

They'd talked until nearly 0300 and had covered some very scary topics for Sam. Both had admitted that they hadn't even recognised how they'd felt before they'd been stuck off world for a week with Teal'c after having saved Earth from the Replicators. The Colonel had also stated that if the Za'tarc incident hadn't happened he'd never have admitted anything. Sam understood that and, in fact, could possibly have admitted the same thing, but it still hurt to have it said so bluntly. They'd then discussed the touchy subject of Thera and Jonah. It had been difficult at the time for them to adjust to being back to their old lives but this discussion had been even worse.

The Colonel had been unsure exactly what he should say and had prefixed it with, "I really shouldn't being saying this to my 2IC but . . ."

Sam stopped running to take a breather and mulled over the conversation.

Jack had admitted to being really hurt by her complete - but necessary – return to protocol and what he felt was a dismissal of his feelings as they'd left the ice planet. That had stunned her. She'd assumed he'd want the same, would want the status quo to be back as quickly as possible. However, hearing his honesty, she'd told him of her real fears when he'd been stuck in the glider with Teal'c. Not that her CO was in danger, but that a person she cared about so much was likely to die.

Having reviewed the recent past they'd defined their feelings at that particular moment. All cards on the table and complete honesty with each other. They'd said the words at exactly the same moment. They loved each other.

It had not led to passion or a change in the sleeping arrangements but it had meant that for the first time in almost six months they were being honest with each other. And then the panic had set in for Sam.

However, the Colonel had been very pragmatic about it all. He'd outlined their options: transfer, resign, retire. None had really looked appealing. Although, on reflection, she wondered if she were to become a civilian, could she, Teal'c and Daniel still be part of a civilian team led by the Colonel? Would the regulations still be the same if she were no longer in the military? Would she want to give up the chance of being a Colonel to be with the Colonel?

She'd almost finished her second loop of the park; the breaks had made it take longer than usual. She was making her way back towards her neighbourhood when her beeper and phone both went off. She stopped and looked at her beeper – the base with an emergency 911 message.

She grabbed her phone from the strap on her arm – the Colonel. "Carter" she answered.

"Carter, it's me. Get home now. We need to get to the mountain ASAP."

**AN: 3 down one to go, Jack next - please read the author's notes in chapter 4 to avoid any problems. Thanks again for the reviews. Sorry I haven't responded personally to them, have had a headache after work the last two nights. Will hopefully be fine tonight. Hope the updates sooth any anger at the lack of response from me. Thanks again. **


	4. Jack

**Authors Note: Ok folks here is Jack and more about his weekend away with Sam. By the end of this chapter you may have worked out what was happening. More on that at the bottom. Thanks for reading.**

Chapter 4

Jack O'Neill, unlike the rest of his team mates, had not only had a very restful, full night's sleep, but he'd been snuggled up on his own, very comfy bed. He'd arrived home from Minnesota as relaxed and refreshed as he usually did. He did, however, have a lot to think about.

He'd been shocked beyond belief when Carter – no, Sam, he corrected himself – had agreed to go with him to the cabin. He'd tried many times to get his team mates to go to the cabin with him, feeling that they needed a space to relax like he did, but they always had some excuse not to go. He knew their idea of fun was different to his, but he was sure that they'd find something with which to entertain themselves if they ever went. But this time Sam had finally agreed to go with him and they'd had a wonderful weekend, better than he could ever have hoped. He was even pleased that the regs, while being smudged, had definitely not been broken. In fact, they had only confirmed feelings that had already been acknowledged between them . . . on the base, no less. Of course, that still left issues that had to be resolved. Well, there was no time like the present to begin.

Jack got up and jumped in the shower, ready to face the day and his boss, with whom he planned to have a very in-depth, off-the-record conversation. He knew there had to be a way around this but he was worried that if Sam - the brightest person he'd ever met - couldn't figure it out, then there might not actually be an easy way. But then when had they ever had it easy?

He stuck his head under the water and shook it. If only those damn Goa'uld would go away! He had no problem with retiring . . . again. In fact, he actually believed he'd enjoy it, especially if Sam happened to be sharing his life, house and bed. However, he had no desire to leave her and the others to fight the worst enemy this country – this world - had ever faced. He really didn't believe that he could watch them go off somewhere without him to fight the war that he'd started. Yes, he admitted that he and Daniel had to take a lot of the responsibility for pulling Earth into the chaotic events in the galaxy. Jack O'Neill was not afraid to accept responsibility and he definitely wasn't going to run away from it. So that, realistically, took his retirement out of the equation.

He was also struggling with the idea of Sam giving up the military. He knew she could go far now that there was a combat zone where both her military skills and her brain were in high demand. However, she'd let slip that the Air Force was not exactly her dream job. No, it had been Jacob's. That was a can of worms that Jack really didn't want to open but if he and Sam were to ever be together, Jacob would have to be told. He shuddered at the thought. Maybe he could conveniently be somewhere . . . anywhere . . . off world when Sam told her dad. Yeah, that'd work. But then he thought of how Sam would kick his butt and he frowned, thinking that he'd have to be a man and face Jacob . . . but not without Sam there for protection.

He finished washing, turned off the shower, stepped out and dried his body, still thinking about what to say to Hammond. He could always just come straight out and admit his feelings. Jack expected that Hammond would know what he was going to say before it came out of his mouth, anyway. There were no flies on his CO.

Jack moved into his room and rummaged through the drawers at the side. He dressed in his civvies and strolled through to the kitchen. He hit the button on the small TV on the counter and began to think about getting his coffee ready. He didn't have to worry about eating as he'd made plans to meet Carter at the base for breakfast. Teal'c wasn't returning until later but Daniel was bound to be somewhere around the base, so could join them if he could be pulled away from his rocks. He got distracted by the TV and began flicking through the TV channels, trying to find the sport results from the weekend. He liked the fact that no one could reach him at the cabin but he did feel a little out of it now that he was back. He'd also missed the Monday night fixtures and his team needed the win this week. He went through more than 20 channels before finding CNN, where he'd most likely find the results.

He turned from the screen and began to make the coffee, reaching for the only clean mug in his kitchen. Perhaps he should have cleaned before leaving on Thursday, he mused. The kettle whistled and he made his coffee while occasionally flicking his eyes to the screen.

He was just cursing the lack of useful, helpful television when the newscaster got his attention. The pictures took his breath away and made his stomach turn in a way it hadn't done for several years.

**AN: You may have realised which day this is based around. There will be a full warning on chapter 5 but the genre Tragedy was picked for a reason. I will give a fuller explanation tomorrow to help you understand where I am coming from. I hope you continue to read but understand if you choose not to.**


	5. The Attack

**Author's Note: Ok here is chapter 5. The day in question is 9/11. I mean no offence by writing this, please see the further explanation at the bottom. Please don't read on if you feel the use of this day in a fanfic is wrong. **

Chapter 5

Jack had gotten the call from Hammond at 0650 Mountain Time. The base was going on to high alert and he had to be there - now. Not only had he been ordered to collect Carter on the way and to get to the mountain faster than his truck could actually travel but Hammond, for the first time since Jack had began working at the base, had ordered him to use his red emergency light and siren.

Jack ran out of the house, trying to call Carter while frantically searching his truck for the light that had been authorised shortly after Apophis' first attempt to invade earth. He'd never had cause to use either the light or siren before but Hammond and the President had decided that they could be vital when base personnel needed to get to the base as quickly as transport would allow. Jack stretched under the front passenger seat and grabbed the light just as Carter's answering machine answered.

"Carter, it's O'Neill. The base needs us. I'm coming to you. Gonna try your cell," he barked into the phone. He then quickly set up the light, jumped into the truck, and sped off with the siren blazing.

As he pulled up at Carter's house - which was only a few blocks from his - he finally got hold of her on her cell phone.

"Carter," she answered.

"Carter, it's me. Get home now. I'm already here. We need to get to the mountain ASAP."

"Sir, what's going on?" she asked as he heard her start to run.

"No time, Carter. I'll explain once you get here. What's your ETA?"

"I'm out running, Sir, and can be with you in five. Carter out."

Jack jumped out of his truck and used his spare key to get into Carter's house. He assumed she'd have her base ID with her but she obviously wouldn't have taken her computer with her and he wanted to pick her up as fast as possible. He walked into the hall and through to the kitchen. He spotted her computer - thankfully all bagged up - and picked up the small bag/purse that was beside it. He took a quick sweep around the rest of the room and couldn't see anything else she might need urgently. On his way out he grabbed her Air Force sweatshirt, in case she didn't have anything else with her on her run. Actually, it was more in case she was only wearing a skimpy top that she wouldn't feel comfortable going into the base wearing.

He arrived back at his truck where the light was still spinning just as Sam came around the corner at full pelt. She came to an abrupt halt at the passenger door of the truck that he'd opened.

"Get in, Carter. I've got your computer. Picked up a top for you, too."

"Yes, Sir. Thanks." Sam jumped in and barely had time to close the door before he shot off down the road, the light turning and the siren blaring.

"Sir, can you tell me what's going on now?"

"Terrorist attack on the east coast. Hammond wants us in before the President orders the mountain locked down."

"How bad, Sir?"

"Bad enough. The news are reporting that a small plane crashed into the World Trade Centre but Hammond and NORAD were informed that a jet was hijacked."

"Who do they think is behind it?"

"No idea at the moment. Hammond thinks the President might close down the base due to the nature of the work we do."

"Is the President in DC at the moment?"

"No. He's on some trip to Florida."

"His secret service people will be happy about that."

In no time at all Jack had driven the truck to the mountain, only to be stopped in a line of vehicles at the checkpoint. His phone rang again as they were making their way slowly to the entrance.

"O'Neill," he answered.

"Colonel, where are you? I need you here, now!" Hammond's voice sounded strained and worried.

"We're in the line to get in, Sir. What's changed that security's been increased?"

"Don't you listen to the radio, Jack? There's been another plane. The second tower's been hit."

"Crap! Give us five minutes, Sir, and we'll be with you." He slapped the phone shut.

"What is it? What's happened?" Sam asked anxiously.

"Another plane. It was flown into the other tower."

"This has to be a planned attack, Sir. What does Hammond want us to do? Are we to give Air Force support?"

"Not yet. I think he assumes that the SGC will be used for a more practical purpose."

"You mean evacuation?"

"Yup."

Jack drove up to the checkpoint and rolled down the window.

"Sir, Ma'am, can I see your IDs? We need to sweep the truck as well, Sir. Can you just step out? And be prepared for a personal search."

"Sure, Sergeant. Let's go, Carter," Jack ordered as he stepped out. Usually he abhorred all the security measures but today it seemed more than reasonable.

"All done, Sir. You're cleared," the young man said, waving the truck through the large gates. Jack quickly found his parking space and jumped out of the truck, running through the door to the first elevator with Sam following close behind. They had to go through two more security checks before entering the elevator that would take them to the General.

Stepping out at Level 27, they made their way directly to the briefing room, finding General Hammond surrounded by aides and the other senior members of the command.

"Colonel, Major, please join us." Hammond indicated the seats left vacant for them.

"What's the situation, Sir?" Jack asked as Sergeant Harriman switched the TV on to CNN and handed the remote to the General.

"At 0838 EST NORAD was informed that a flight had been hijacked. 8 minutes later it crashed into the North Tower of the World Trade Center. At 0903 another plane flew into the second tower. At that point the Pentagon issued a warning that we were clearly under attack. The President is in Florida and is due to make a speech shortly. Once he's back on Air Force One we expect to be contacted as part of an evacuation procedure."

"What do you need us to do, Sir?" Jack asked as Hammond's second in command.

"Nothing for the moment. Just be on alert. We need to be able to respond quickly to members of the government potentially evacuating to the Alpha site for at least a few days."

"Sir, could I suggest we organise all department heads to catalogue supplies that could be needed by anyone going off world?" Jack said.

"Good idea. See to it. Dismissed, everyone." Everyone rose from the table just as the President came on the TV. The group listened to his speech, many nodding in agreement. As the President left the school hall, Hammond faced his team commanders.

"Right, Colonel O'Neill, you see to any supplies that may be needed. For all the other teams, just make sure your teams are all on full alert and ready to move at a moment's notice. The call could come at any minute. I expect the Vice President and the Speakers of the Senate and Congress to be with us shortly, followed by possibly the President himself."

The group left the briefing room.

Jack turned to Sam. "Right, Carter, you get the science stuff organised. They're going to need another generator and anything else you can think of, okay?"

"Yes, Sir. Do you know where Daniel is?"

"Nope, but we might need him in case this isn't Earth terrorism but something else. And besides, who else will be able to handle all those politicians?" Jack looked around hoping Daniel might just appear beside him.

"Do you want me to find him?" Sam asked, concerned that she hadn't seen her friend on base; she'd assumed he'd appear when the news had broken.

"No, you have enough to do. I'll find Spacemonkey."

They'd separated to go in different directions when Jack called back to her, "Check in every 20 minutes, okay?"

"Yes, Sir." Carter walked quickly towards the elevator, heading for her lab.

"Right, where the hell could Daniel be?" Jack muttered, aiming to start his search in Daniel's lab.

**AN: Ok if you have continued to the bottom let me explain. This story has been written because it was in my head for a long time. I watched the events of 9/11 unfold and as I have studied more about it I have wondered what it would be have been like behind the scenes, by that I mean in the know (a member of the military or civilian authorities) but not in DC or New York. This was written as a way to think about what would it have been like if the SGC existed. Please let me assure you that this in no way takes away from the tragedy of the day itself or the years that have followed for the families involved. When writing I made a conscious decision not to have the characters in DC or NY as I felt that would be wrong. If you now feel that you do not wish to read on please simply ignore the rest of the story. If you wish to continue I will post chapter 6 tomorrow. I welcome any comments and will try to respond personally to them. 9/11 was an horrific event for people around the world and I hope I have written this in a way that will not offend anyone. Thanks for your continued support. **


	6. Making Plans

**Authors Note: Ok thanks for sticking with me, hope you enjoy the rest. So now Sam and Jack are on the base they are there to help put plans in motion. Obviously everything written here is fiction, however for the factual events of the day I have used news websites like CNN and the BBC. **

Chapter 6

Sam entered her lab and immediately switched on the small TV. She watched the pictures for a moment, struck by what was happening in New York, and mentally remembering that it wasn't 0735 but 0935 there, which meant that most people would have been at work when this happened. The number of casualties would most likely be horrific.

She shook her head. As horrible as this was she needed to focus on what any evacuating group would need. The Colonel was right; they'd need a generator, possibly even two if the base could spare them. She might have to contact the Alpha site to see what equipment they had and what they felt they'd need.

She moved to the phone to check if contacting the Alpha site was a possibility when the images on the TV screen caught her attention.

"Shit! They just hit the Pentagon!" she said out loud as her phone rang.

"Carter."

"Carter, switch on the TV. Now!" O'Neill's voice boomed down the line.

"It's already on, Sir. They hit the Pentagon! I know people there. I used to work there." Jack could hear the tension in her voice.

"_Colonel O'Neill to the briefing room,"_ could be heard on both ends of the phone.

"Gotta go, Carter. Just focus on what you have to do, okay?"

"Yes, Sir. Already on it."

Jack put down the phone and ran from Daniel's lab - where he'd failed to find the wayward archaeologist - to the briefing room.

"Yes, General?" Jack asked breathlessly as he arrived.

"Jack, have you seen the latest?" Hammond asked, bustling around the table.

"Yes, Sir."

"It's shocking. The Pentagon's in evacuation mode. They're trying to get the Secretary of Defense out. They're already trying to put out the fire and check through the debris but they have no idea about casualties yet."

"Yes, Sir. What do you need?"

"Jack, the President's going to be in the air in Air Force One while we're looking for the securest location for him to be. There's the worry of another plane." He let that thought linger in the air.

"Are they going to ground air travel around DC?"

"NORAD's advising that they ground all planes in US airspace. I've just been on the phone with them.

"Where else do they expect attacks?" Jack asked, worried about what the day could still have in line for them.

"No concrete ideas but if they ground everything then any other hijacked planes could be easily identified."

The phone in Hammond's office rang and he went to answer it while Jack awaited his return.

"That's the grounding confirmed. Only our planes and Air Force One will be allowed in the air for the rest of the day. The President's given the order to shoot down anything heading for DC."

"When are we picking up the politicians?" Jack knew that General Hammond would be one of the Generals in control, now that the Pentagon where the Joint Chiefs were had been hit.

"It's in progress now. They should be here within a few hours."

"Very good, Sir. I want to round up the department heads and see where we are, if that's okay with you?"

"Yes, go ahead. Teal'c's due back at 1000 and SG-14 are due back in about 30 minutes. We have to make sure that the gate is free and ready for opening as soon as the members of Congress arrive."

"Yes, Sir. I'd like Teal'c to return but SG-14 could easily stay with the Nox for another day if you want."

"No. I think it'd be better for all our personnel to be here, just in case anything else happens. And we still don't know who's behind it all. Our expertise may be needed."

"Yes, Sir. I'll go call that meeting now."

"Good, Jack. I have to report upstairs to make plans and talk to the President. He's on his way to Barksdale in Louisiana at the moment. We'll see what the best plan for him is."

"Very good, Sir. We'll all be fine down here. Nothing to worry about." Jack gave a brief quirk of the lips, knowing that the General was never overly keen to leave him in charge as he usually caused the crises.

"Good, keep in touch." Hammond left the room, followed by Walter who'd been standing inconspicuously at the side of the room. Jack made his way down to the control room to summon the personnel to the briefing room. The conversation he'd planned to have with Hammond was completely forgotten for now.


	7. The Alpha Site?

**Author's Note: So here is chapter 7. All of this is a fanfic theory but I hope it sounds real. Thanks for reading and a special thanks to those who have reviewed.  
**

Chapter 7

"Carter, you seen Daniel?" Jack stopped Sam as she started to follow the other department heads leaving the briefing room. They'd all been giving Jack an update as to their situation.

"No, Sir. Wasn't he in his lab?"

"No, and I called his house and cell and he didn't pick up."

"He'll turn up, Sir. He always does."

"Yeah . . ." Jack looked around uncertainly. "Carter, do you think everything went okay just now? Did I cover everything that needed to be covered?"

"Er . . . yes, Sir. Why? What's wrong?"

"Nothing . . . It's just, well, this is all on _me_ now. If I screw this up then . . . well . . . who knows what could happen?" He shook his head a little. "You know me, Carter. I'm happy with big honkin' space guns and shoot first, ask questions later when we're running from a platoon of Jaffa, but you . . . you and Daniel are the brains of the operation."

Sam smiled at the quick cover up and the vulnerability that she'd only very rarely seen displayed by her CO. In fact, she felt it was quite endearing - a by-product of their weekend of honesty - and something she hoped would continue for a really long time. "Sir, you've thought of everything I can think of. You've planned for all eventualities. Don't worry."

"Yeah?" he asked, a small smile on his face.

"Yes, Sir. The only thing I was going to ask you to do was to call the Alpha site to get details of any equipment they felt was necessary. But I assume you planned to do that, anyway."

"Ah, Carter, that's what I have you for, always crossing the t's and dotting the i's." Jack began to make his way to the stairs leading to the control room.

"Do you want to check in with them or shall I, Sir?"

Before Jack had a chance to reply a tech called out to him as they entered the control room. "Colonel! I think you need to see this." They both turned to see the South Tower of the Trade Centre collapse.

"Oh God! Had they managed to evacuate everyone?" Sam asked, her hand over her mouth.

"No, Ma'am, they were still evacuating people. There were also fire fighters up the tower dealing with the fire."

Without the slightest hesitation, Jack automatically took charge and got everyone back on track. He knew what had to be done. "Okay, everyone, as callous as this sounds, right now we need to focus on the job at hand." Jack nudged Sam's arm to get her to zone back into the SGC.

"Yes, Sir. I'll dial the Alpha site." Sam sat down at the empty control desk. The wall phone rang as Sam was entering the coordinates for dialling.

"O'Neill."

Hammond got right to the point. "Jack, there's been another plane. It's come down in Pennsylvania. It was headed for DC." He gave the information in an almost clinical way, which was a technique the military taught: don't get emotionally involved in a crisis until it was well and truly over. Jack understood that but he wondered if Sam did.

So many of the crises they'd dealt with had allowed Sam to disconnect, to use her intellect - as she was busy finding a solution to save their butts/country/planet yet again - to block any feelings that might have swelled to the surface. However, this particular crisis seemed to have cut through Sam's military mask. He thought it could be because of her links to the Pentagon, or maybe the sheer number of possible casualties so close to home, or simply that this time there was nothing she could do to save anyone and she had time to think and ponder. But, whatever the reason, he was worried about her. Oh, he had no doubts about her ability to get the job done, but after the weekend they'd just spent together he was feeling over-protective. They'd gotten closer than he'd ever expected. But he knew now was not the time to let Sam know how he felt or single her out for special treatment. And he knew that she'd kick his butt if he did.

"Jack, are you still there?"

Jack suddenly realised Hammond was still on the other end of the line, waiting for a response. "Yes, Sir. Did we take it out?"

"No. Information's sketchy but it looks like the passengers tried to retake the plane and the hijackers downed it."

"Really!" Jack exclaimed, shocked.

"Yes. I'd say that in giving their own lives they've managed to save countless others. There'll be many grateful people when this is over."

"Yes, Sir."

"Okay, Jack, I have to get back to the meetings. Everything going well down there?"

"Yes, Sir. Carter's contacting the Alpha site now to give them a heads up and find out if there's anything in particular they need."

"Very good. I'll call back in an hour, if not before."

"Yes, Sir." They both hung up.

"Colonel, we have the Alpha site," Carter said, looking at Jack when she got no response. She noticed him looking at the TV on the wall and turned to see what he was watching. "Another one . . . there's been another one," she stated, standing up and moving towards the small screen to get the details.

Jack finally acknowledged Sam as she moved to stand next to him. "Yeah, but this time the passengers apparently tried to take back the plane." Sam looked up as Jack stopped speaking, noticing his clenched jaw. He looked down at her. "They didn't make it. The plane went down somewhere in Pennsylvania." Jack watched Sam's face as her emotions at the horror of the event played across her features. He knew he couldn't comfort her like he wanted to – this was neither the time nor the place - so tried to bring her attention back to the SGC. He looked towards the 'gate. "You got the Alpha site?"

"Ah . . . " Sam dragged her eyes away from the TV and looked at the computer monitor. "Yes, Sir."

Jack moved to speak into the mic and talk to the commander of the Alpha site.

"Jack, good to see you," the Colonel at the other end said, smiling.

"You, too. Not great news here, though, I'm afraid." Jack got straight to the point.

The Colonel noticed Jack's serious expression. "What's happened? Have the Goa'uld attacked?"

"No. Home-grown problems, I'm afraid. The USA is in the middle of a large-scale terrorist attack. Four jets so far have been hijacked and used as missiles to attack New York and DC." Jack paused briefly, giving him a moment to assimilate what he'd just heard. "We're in the process of evacuating high-ranking officials and they're on their way to the SGC. If the situation deteriorates, one plan is to send them to you. Are you in a position to cope with that? And is there anything you need in order to cater for extra company?"

"God, Jack. 4 planes? New York _and_ DC? Who . . ." He paused for a second, realising that questions could wait, and looked around at the camp behind him. "Well, we're fine here and perfectly able to take visitors. You'll have to send some extra tents and bedding through, though, but I'm sure you've already thought of that."

"Already organised, along with medical supplies, sanitation facilities and a couple of generators. Anything else you can think of?"

"Not immediately. Is there time to meet with my command and assess our situation?"

"Yeah. You have about two hours before we'll want to start sending equipment through."

"Okay, let me hold a meeting and get back to you in 30 minutes."

"Very good."

The Alpha site commander hesitated briefly before asking, "Jack, how bad is it?"

"They hit the Twin Towers. One's collapsed. They also hit one side of the Pentagon but there's no word yet on casualties there."

"Crap."

"Yeah. Oh, by the way, you could be receiving the President, too, so be on your best behaviour," Jack said seriously to his friend, knowing his penchant for keeping a loose rein on the Alpha site.

"Understood. Talk to you in 30, Jack."

"SGC out." The wormhole closed and Jack turned back to the room, and to Sam in particular. Knowing her as well as he did, he could see that, even though she was carrying out her duties as the consummate officer she always was, she was very upset inside, especially as he knew that she had friends at the Pentagon from when she'd worked there and must have been wondering if any of them had been in the section that had been hit.

"Major, I'd like to see you in General Hammond's office.

"Yes, Sir." She followed him up the stairs.

They entered the room and Jack moved behind Hammond's desk.

"Sit down, Carter. Don't worry, you're not in trouble," he said kindly, forcing her to make eye contact with him for the first time in 10 minutes.

"Yes, Sir." Sam made a poor attempt at a smile and sat down.

"I just wanted to get you away from the eyes in the room, give you a place to work through some emotions."

"Thank you, Sir." Sam looked down at her clasped hands and closed her eyes.

"You okay, Sam?" Jack asked quietly, breaking the formality they'd shared since he'd picked her up earlier that morning.

Sam opened her eyes but continued looking down. "Yeah, it's just . . . we've fought out there for years against an enemy that no one knows about and then we're faced with this." She looked up at Jack. "But you know what the weird thing is?"

"No, tell me."

"There's a huge part of me that wants to be up there, in a fighter, protecting the country like I signed up for, you know? And not just stuck down here under a mountain."

"Oh, yeah! But that's not weird, Sam, its normal. Or at least, it's normal for an adrenalin junkie like you." He smiled gently at her and she couldn't help smiling back. "And I'm sure every pilot here feels the same. I know I do." Jack paused, thinking how hard it was for the two of them not to be taking their usual active roles. "We're both used to being on the front lines, fighting the enemy directly. But in this instance we have another job to do, which is just as important. You need to remember that we're here, where our country needs us, making plans to keep the President safe."

"Yes, Sir."

"I know you may have lost friends today, Sam, but grief will have to wait, for all of us. We have a job to do now, okay?"

"Yes, Sir. I understand. But, Jack, all those people!" Sam looked at Jack for a moment, distraught, then sat up straight and composed herself. Jack could see her pushing all her emotions deep down inside, where she'd deal with them later. Now she was ready to get back to the job at hand.

"Good, you take five. I need to go check in with Frasier about medical supplies before the Alpha site gets back to us. You gonna be okay?"

"Yes, Sir, thank you."

"No problem, it's what I'm here for . . . okay, maybe not really, but you gotta admit I am good at it." He smiled and walked to the door.

"Jack," she whispered.

He turned to face her.

"Does this change what we discussed at the cabin?"

"No . . . but it might postpone it for a bit." He shifted uncomfortably on his feet.

She smiled at him, surprising him. "That's okay, I can live with postponed."

"See you later, Carter, and try and find Daniel again if you get a second."

She nodded as he left the room and left her to a few moments of silence. However, she quickly regained her composure after a few moments spent thinking about all the people who'd lost their lives. But Jack was right; they had a job to do. She may not be able to be in the air defending their country as she'd like, but she could prepare for the people arriving here and make sure that the President was safe. She got up and left the office, buoyed by the feeling that she could at least do something to help.

**AN: Well there you have it, thanks for reading, another chapter for you all tomorrow. **


	8. Janet

**Author's Note: Chapter 8 is here, a little about how Janet may have coped**

Chapter 8

Dr Janet Frasier had joined the military to serve her country and to help people. As a doctor she got to do both and as CMO of Cheyenne Mountain she was able to help in the most amazing way possible. However, at this point in time, all she wanted to do was to get out of this claustrophobic mountain and somehow get to the east coast and help the people there. What she really didn't want to be doing was sitting on the floor of the infirmary, sorting supplies into boxes.

"Right, bandages, check." She pulled a pencil from her white coat pocket and began to make notes on the inventory she'd made up for the Alpha site.

"Doc, talking to yourself is the first sign of insanity, you know," Jack said as he walked into the room. "Or so I've been told."

"Thank you, Sir, I'll bear it in mind," she replied sarcastically.

Jack ignored her insubordination and sat down beside his friend and doctor. "So, you got everything ready for the Alpha site?"

"Well, I've arranged for all the usual supplies to be replenished but I don't really think they're going to need much." Janet looked up at Jack and added sarcastically, "I _assume_ that the injured aren't coming here?" As soon as the words left her mouth, she realised that that wasn't exactly the tone one should use when speaking to a superior officer. "Sorry, Colonel, it's just that I'd like to be there, doing something useful, helping people."

"I know, Doc, but as I've just told Carter, you _are_ doing something useful. We have no idea what's going on here. There could be multiple other planes just waiting to crash into some other buildings." He rubbed his hand across his face. "Hammond and the others think the President would be safest here. That realistically means the Alpha site - total safety and immediately contactable."

"I understand, Sir, it's just . . . after all we've experienced here, an attack on American soil, which has nothing whatsoever to do with our Stargate enemies, is hard to take in."

"I know, Doc, but let's keep focussed, okay?" Janet nodded. "Okay. So, is there anything specific you want an update on from the Alpha site?" He took her clipboard and scanned down the list. It was a comprehensive one and he was sure nothing would have been forgotten.

Frasier immediately fell into official mode. "You should probably check their painkiller medications and possibly their allergy ones, too. Ask if those with hay fever have been reacting to anything lately." She got up off the floor and began moving around the room again. "If we get caught out it's likely to be by something small. I expect none of the politicians will break a leg so it might be a lack of prescription medicine. Can you get the General to check the medical records of those we're expecting, see if there's anything vital needed, like a diabetic who needs an insulin supply or something?"

"That's a good idea, Doc," Jack said, pushing himself off the floor, grimacing as his knees cracked. "I'll see to it now."

Janet rose as well. "You should probably check for food allergies, as well, Sir."

"You see? This is why I need you guys to double check everything I do."

"I'm sure you're doing fine, Sir," Janet said with a placating tone.

"Yes, well . . . you got some paper so I can take some notes?"

"Yes, Sir, just over here." Janet walked into her office and picked up an air force notepad.

"Okay . . . so, allergies and medications." Jack made a note of them. He needed to head to the next department but first he had to do his commander duty and cheer up the doc.

His eyes roamed the room and caught sight of the latest photo of Cassie. "So, how's Cass doing?" he asked, hoping to take her mind briefly off events.

"She's fine . . . oh, Colonel . . . she's going to be devastated!" Janet moved to the phone to try and attempt to reach Cassie.

"Hey, Doc, what's wrong? She's at school . . . is she ok?" Jack was getting concerned, very unsure about what was going through Janet's mind.

"Sorry, she's fine, but the school trip was next month. . . "

"They were going to New York, right?"

"They've all been looking forward to it for so long. She'll be devastated if they have to cancel. It won't be much of a trip even if they do go. New York looks a bit like a battle site." Janet indicated the muted picture that was on the small TV screen in her office.

"Yeah . . . or like a volcano," Jack added, glancing at the picture loop that was going through the news channel.

"Actually, I'm not sure I'd want her flying, anyway . . . not after this," Janet said quietly.

"I understand, Jan, but let's just get through this crisis and see what the situation is before you decide, eh?"

"You're very calm in a crisis, Sir." Janet smiled a watery smile.

"Well, I try!" Jack grinned, before becoming more serious. "Come 'ere." He pulled her into a hug - one of the hugs he was so famous for.

Jack pulled back and checked to see that Janet was able to get back to work. "Right, well, I need to go check in with the others."

"Thank you, Colonel." Janet pulled herself together, and Jack could almost see it happening. "Let me know when you have some information about the medications and allergies."

"Sure, doc, keep me apprised, okay?" he said, slapping the wall beside the door and then leaving the room.

Janet turned back to face the TV screen and gasped.

**AN: Thanks for reading and continuing to review. Will get to them all soon I promise. Please keep reading and let me know what you think.**


	9. Hammond

**Author's Note: Hello all, thanks for continuing to read my story. We are moving along in time, it's aound 0945 Colorado time and 1145 EST, just to help you keep up.**

Chapter 9

General Hammond wearily made his way to the elevator. It felt like it had been a very long day and it was only 0950. He'd been up in NORAD for hours, organising and arguing over the best course of action to keep the President safe. He shook his head as he remembered some of the crazy ideas that some eager Lieutenant Colonels had had; he'd never heard anything more ridiculous than taking the President back to DC – now - wearing a bulletproof vest.

He took a deep breath as he pushed the button to call the elevator. The President was on his way to Louisiana, to the Air Force base at Barksdale, in fact, he was almost there. Now they had a major decision to make but that decision rested on what they decided to do with the President's press core. The reporters had been with the President in Florida and were all trusted members of the press but there was a major question as to whether they should continue with the President, especially if he were to come to Colorado.

On the one hand, the White House advisors were having serious issues about separating the press from the president, issues of not hiding him and making him available to the public. Hammond and the other senior Generals, on the other hand, had no problem with getting the President away from the press and into the most secure facility in the country – namely the SGC. And there was no way that the Press could come here. General Hammond shuddered at the thought. He imagined that on top of the serious crisis on the East Coast, the sight of aliens or a spinning ring that could send you across the galaxy would stop the presses. He actually assumed that Colonel O'Neill would think it was a good idea to go public today as the news might get buried in the tragedy that had occurred.

He paced around the small box as it travelled down through the mountain to the briefing room. He'd called the Colonel from up top and organised a meeting. O'Neill had informed him that everything was set at the Alpha site and that the supplies were ready to go with the first group of the country's leaders that arrived. On that point, NORAD had just been contacted and a plane carrying them had landed at the nearby airfield.

The Generals had decided, though, not to use the gate immediately. There were many in the group who didn't yet know about the program and it was decided that they'd be safe enough in the facility without having to go through the 'gate. While Hammond had no problem with the President making the decision to tell these people about the program, he didn't feel that it was his job to tell them.

The elevator reached its destination deep in the mountain and General Hammond exited briskly. He passed Walter who, with a nod, fell into step behind the General.

"Sir, everyone's waiting in the briefing room. The Alpha site will be dialling in in 15 minutes for an update. Teal'c is due back in 10 minutes. Oh . . . and no one can find Dr Jackson." He succinctly brought his CO up to speed.

"Very good, Sergeant. Let's go to the briefing. We'll deal with the missing doctor later."

Hammond and Walter walked into the briefing room and everyone around the table rose as their commanding officer entered the room. O'Neill and Carter were at the top end of the table, sitting on either side of the top chair, which they'd left vacant for Hammond. Dr Frasier was there, sitting to Sam's left. The leaders of SG-2, 3 and 4, were sitting to Jack's right in numerical order, which usually amused Jack, but this situation stopped any joviality. Finally, at the bottom of the table, sitting one seat down from Janet and looking very unsure of himself, was the youngest member of the SGC - Dr Julian Beckworth.

Dr Beckworth was a trained counsellor and had been shocked when he'd been assigned to a mountain, thinking that he'd really wound someone up to get the posting. He'd been even more surprised when, only last week, he'd been briefed on the real work done under Cheyenne Mountain. His role was to spend time getting to know the people who worked there and provide a listening ear if it were needed. Today, however, he was to be going to the Alpha site with some very powerful people who'd had been in the middle of a terrorist attack. He may need all his training to deal with this one incident.

"Please, sit down," Hammond said as he unbuttoned his jacket and sat down. "Colonel, report."

"Yes, Sir." Jack stood and moved to the flipchart. "Sir, I've briefed the Alpha site and they're ready to receive anyone who needs to go. After a discussion with Dr Frasier and all those concerned, we've compiled a list of the extra supplies needed for the group. As we speak these are being stockpiled in the Gateroom, ready for transportation. At the moment, Sir, we're as ready as we can be." He sat down, the flipchart pen still in his hand.

"Very good, Colonel." Hammond looked perplexed, "What was the chart for?"

Jack looked at his superior for a few seconds then he answered with a steady voice. "Well, you never know when something will need to be explained in more detail, Sir." Sam smiled at him; he'd been so uncharacteristically worried about this. She wasn't sure why. He'd mumbled something about being used to battlefield scenarios but not evacuating Presidents . . . well, at least without being able to fire a weapon at the enemy.

"Right . . . well . . . good work, Colonel. The Generals upstairs have decided that the politicians will remain in the upper levels of the SGC. There've been no more attacks in the last few hours and so it's been decided that they don't need to know about the SGC and what we do here . . . unless something changes, of course. But we'll worry about that if and when it happens. However, the extra medical supplies you've gathered will be useful for the group. So, Colonel, can you set up the suites on Level 15, suitable for around 30 people? SG-2 and 4 will assist you."

Hammond turned to look at each of the others as he gave them their orders. "Major Carter, can you take charge of the Gateroom while I return upstairs? And Dr Frasier, can you take care of the extra medical supplies? Beckworth, you're to make yourself available to anyone who needs to discuss this morning's attacks. SG-3, you're on security detail for the group. Make your way to the surface and take one of the buses to meet the plane at the airfield. Any questions, people?" Hammond looked around at all those assembled.

"No, Sir," Jack replied, "Except we can't find Daniel, who'd be really useful right about now."

"Have you used the security cameras to try and follow his last movements?" Hammond asked, and was then confronted by several red faces. Clearly his top people had had other things on their minds, as that thought hadn't even occurred to them. He huffed a small laugh as the Colonel glared at the others around the table, in particular at his 2IC. "Very well, people. Let's get moving. Dismissed!"

Hammond rose and walked out of the room to go back upstairs. The SG team leaders filed out to gather their teams and follow Hammond's orders. With a quick glance in Sam's direction, Jack left to check the footage from the security cameras to see if he could locate Daniel, while Janet and Sam headed for the Gateroom.

**AN: so decision made - no announcments of the SGC- couldn't do that in this story felt it was to disrespectful to the day. Thanks for reading, feel free to leave a comment or simply wait for the next chapter. **


	10. What's been going on?

**Author's Note: Ok a short one today, time to welcome Daniel and Teal'c back. Enjoy, thanks for reading.**

Chapter 10

In two different areas of the SGC, one SG-1 member could be seen greeting another. One greeting was in the bustling Gateroom, which was at full alert, a greeting of relief at seeing a returning team mate. The other was in a quiet corridor, a greeting full of annoyance, although not all of that was directed at the missing team mate.

Both greetings marked the continuation of a very long day.

"Daniel, where the _hell_ have you been?" Jack's voice reverberated down the corridor. He'd been on his way to the security office to review the tapes when Daniel had happened to step out of the elevator just in front of him.

"Good morning to you, too, Jack," Daniel responded sarcastically.

"_Good Morning?"_ Jack exploded, exasperated.

"Yes, Jack, it's how civilised people who speak English greet each other in the morning after not..."

"Aaggghhh! Daniel, I know what it is. But where the _hell_ have you been? Don't you know what's been going on?"

Daniel was by now a little more flustered; this was not merely cranky Jack for no reason, this was Jack's I'm-getting-mad-and-you're-the-one-I'm-gonna-take-it-out-on rage. "Okay, to answer your questions . . . I was here until after 6 this morning trying to translate the language we found. I decided to sleep on base so I've been in my quarters. No one woke me up so, to answer your second question, I have no idea what galactic emergency we have but I'm here now."

"Come on," Jack said, pulling him back to the elevator. "I'll explain on the way up." He sighed; why hadn't he just checked Daniel's quarters first?

-SG1-

"Teal'c! Thank God you're back!" Teal'c was surprised at Sam's heartfelt welcome, wondering as to its cause but, as per his usual, merely inclined his head in response before walking down the ramp.

Sam instructed the SFs to stand down and then jogged down to the Gateroom to speak to Teal'c in person. She made her way through the SFs who were removing all the items that were to have been transported to the Alpha site. One quick glance was enough for her to note that everything was running smoothly and that Janet had enough help moving the extra medical supplies out.

Teal'c handed over his staff weapon as he got to the bottom of the ramp, waiting until he noticed Sam turn to speak to him before responding to her greeting. "It is indeed good to see you, MajorCarter. But what has occurred?"

"There's been a terrorist attack on the East Coast and we're about to receive the leaders of the country, who'll be staying here for their protection."

"Have the perpetrators been apprehended?"

"It seems to be suicide bombers. They've hijacked four planes that we know of and crashed them into buildings in New York and Washington," she responded as they walked up into the control room.

"What can I do to be of assistance?"

Sam looked around, embarrassed. "Well, Teal'c, you can help me here but you can't go up to Level 15. There are people up there who wouldn't find that you coming from another planet was a good thing."

Teal'c responded with a look she took to mean he understood, although his facial features didn't change much. "Very well, I will go and clean myself and then return." He bowed and left the Gateroom.

"Oh, by the way, Teal'c . . . How's Ry'ac?" Sam only now remembered the purpose of his trip.

"He is very well, thank you. One day he'll be a great warrior, thanks to Bra'tac's work."

"That's great, Teal'c. Okay, I'll see you back here soon."

Teal'c bowed again and left the room.

-SG1-

"A terrorist attack? Are you serious?" Daniel asked on the ride up to Level 15.

"Daniel, this isn't the type of scenario that the military generally joke about," Jack slammed him down, perhaps a little too harshly.

"Okay, so what happened?" Daniel now paid full attention to his friend's words.


	11. Do they stay or go?

**Author's note: Ok here is chapter 11 and we are almost at an end. I tried to look up the commander of the Alphasite around season 4 and couldn't find it. If you know the answer I would be keen to find out but please don't flame as I did try. Thanks for reading.**

Chapter 11

Colonel Matthew Platt was ready to call his superiors. The Alpha site had been transformed in just a few hours from a rundown Air Force base in desperate need of a spring clean to a very well organised campsite, ready for the possible arrival of the Commander in Chief, the President himself.

He walked across the complex, rechecking everything as he passed. He got to the gate and walked up to the FRED that was permanently positioned near the gate so that it was easy to keep in contact with the SGC. He knew that these things ran on naquadah power, thanks to Major Carter, but he always thought it best to check that it was still in working order.

Once he'd satisfied himself that everything was working as it should, he moved to the DHD and dialled the familiar coordinates. The gate engaged and he sent through his IDC. Although he didn't need the iris opened he knew his IDC would calm any fears back home of an unauthorised wormhole. He was rather surprised when the screen came on to be greeted by Major Carter and Dr Frasier, as opposed to someone a little higher in ranking.

"Major, what's the word?" he asked brusquely. It wasn't that he didn't get on with Carter - in fact he did - but he needed to know exactly who'd be arriving and when so he could be fully prepared. He'd expected that these dire circumstances would mean that at least a Colonel would be in charge of the control room.

"Colonel, the General asked me to tell you that for the moment we're keeping the people in the upper levels of the SGC. NORAD feels that this isn't the time to reveal national secrets."

Platt took a deep breath - or maybe a sigh of relief. "Ok, Carter. Is that likely to change?"

"I don't think so, Sir. There've been no more attacks for several hours and it looks like they're safe enough here."

"Is there any word on casualties, Major? Some of our personnel have families there."

"There isn't much being released, Sir. We expect to be informed soon. The rumours are that several hundred emergency workers could have died in the Towers and they're not giving any official figures from the Pentagon at this time." She tried to speak without emotion, giving the facts without getting caught up in the crisis, but was finding it difficult, given the scale of the tragedy.

"Very good, Major. Could you make a request to the General that we're kept in the loop on this in case we need to ship home any personnel?"

"Of course, Sir. I'll let him know when I see him."

"Good. Oh, by the way, where's Jack?" He was wondering why Jack wasn't in charge, given that he was 2IC of the base.

"Colonel O'Neill is coordinating what needs to be done to house the politicians we have arriving here. He's on Level 15. Do you need to speak to him, Sir?"

The Colonel scoffed. "Jack's babysitting politicians? He's gonna love that!"

"Yes, Sir. Fortunately, he has Daniel to help him with the diplomatic side of things." Sam allowed herself a small smile; her Colonel's fondness for politicians was well known in the program and was often a point of discussion whenever one like Kinsey came from DC to visit.

"Does the General want us to keep the door open or are we back to business as usual?" Pierce suddenly got serious again.

"The last I heard was that you were to remain on alert but not expect any visitors."

"Ok, we'll call back in a couple of hours to get the latest."

"Very good, Sir."

"Oh, and Sam? Keep your chin up." Ben smiled at her; he could see that this was harder for her than she was letting on.

"Yes, Sir. Thank you," she replied quietly.

"Alpha site out."

The screen went black as the 'gate shut down. Sam turned to Janet.

"There's not much for us to do here, Jan. Teal'c will be along in a minute. You should get back to the infirmary."

Janet sighed. "This has been so horrible and all I can think of is could I do anything to help the people injured?" Janet sounded as if the conversation had started in her head and just had to be let out, be given a voice.

"I know, Janet, but we have a job to do and we need to focus on that."

"Isn't that Colonel O'Neill's line? He gave me the same pep talk two hours ago." Janet smiled and turned to walk away.

"Well, I've learned from the best." Sam tried to sound as upbeat as Jack would have been in order to boost morale but couldn't stop the hitch in her voice. This had been a horrific day, and it wasn't even lunchtime yet.


	12. The end of a very long dayweek

**Author's note: Ok so here we are at the end, and the longest chapter. So I hope you feel this finishes well and have enjoyed reading the story. I'm very grateful for those who have followed the story and left comments it has really kept me going. Thanks. **

Chapter 12

General Hammond wearily made his way from Level 15 to Level 28. The discussion had been long and arduous and, to his dismay, the President's advisors had won. The President had left Louisiana and was now on his way to Nebraska, to a defence site that wasn't completely classified: at least the bit above ground could be discussed with the Press core and allowed to be filmed.

Hammond, as well as several other high-ranking Generals, wasn't happy with the decision. He believed that the President should be at the SGC. It seemed incongruous that some lower members of the government had been allowed the protection of the SGC but not the President. However, the decision had been made, in part by the man himself. The President felt that there was enough of a national crisis without worrying about what the press could sniff out at the SGC. On that point the General did agree: so much would have to be changed or hidden before the press could even set foot on the base.

Hammond arrived on Level 28 and crossed the corridor into the briefing room, where for the last time - at least for today - he was met by his top personnel: the leaders of teams 1-6, Dr Frasier, and the members of SG-1. As before, the Air Force officers stood as Hammond entered and he quickly waved them to sit. They all waited patiently for their commander to speak.

"It's been decided that the President's going to the Offut base in Nebraska," he said resignedly.

"Is that wise, Sir?" O'Neill was the only one willing to question his superior.

"Only time will tell." Hammond sighed. "However, he can be protected there, and there's no national secret there that might be revealed, as is the case here. It's perhaps for the best. The Joint Chiefs don't believe there'll be another attack but have deployed several naval ships and aircraft carriers from Norfolk to protect the eastern seaboard. Our job now is to keep the people safe who've come to us before they can return to Washington."

"We have more than enough medical supplies," Janet commented.

"Yes, and we've arranged rooms for them to sleep overnight," the new leader of SG-3 spoke up.

"Well done, people, but I don't think the rooms will be necessary." He stopped and took in the surprised look on the faces of most of the people around the table.

"How do you mean, Sir?" Carter asked.

Hammond sighed. "The White House advisors feel that we should be showing a united front in Washington to show the terrorists that they haven't won."

There were murmurs in support of the plan and a few concerned mumbles.

"The President will remain in Nebraska until it's absolutely certain he'll be safe. However, his advisors feel that plans should be put in place to return the other government members as soon as possible."

"We've informed the Alpha site that they won't be needed," Jack reported to Hammond.

"Good, and I see you found Dr Jackson."

There was a smattering of laughter around the table.

"Uh, yes, Sir. It seems he was in his quarters." Jack gave the wayward Doctor a glare.

"Yes, General. I'll remind Jack to check all the obvious places next time he tries to find me," Daniel chipped in.

"Good to have you back, Doctor. Perhaps you could make yourself available on Level 15 for the rest of the day. Your skills would come in very handy."

"Yes, General, of course. Is there anything I need to know about the people who are here?"

"Only a few know about the program and those who do have been quietly reminded not to discuss things openly. But others are beginning to question the uses of this facility. I need you to keep your eyes and ears open and use your diplomatic skills to make sure that no one who doesn't already know finds out what really goes on here."

"Yes, General." Daniel began to rise from the table.

"Dr Jackson, SGs-3 and -4 are available to you and will be posted in the corridors should they be needed." Hammond looked from Daniel to those two team leaders. "You can make your way there now."

"Thank you, Sir." The two team leaders and Daniel moved to leave the room and Hammond resumed the briefing with the remaining personnel.

"Dr Frasier, you're to ensure that the people upstairs are fully catered for, medically speaking. Major Harper, SG-5 is to secure the entrance to the mountain and to make sure all Stargate personnel are taken past Level 15. Let's keep contact with our visitors to a minimum."

"Yes, Sir," both Frasier and Harper replied.

"Finally, I'd like to say well done, people. It's been a good day's work, albeit following such tragic events as have happened today." Hammond turned to Sam and Jack. "Colonel O'Neill, Major Carter, please stay." He turned back to look at the others seated around the table. "The rest of you are dismissed." Hammond waited until everyone except O'Neill and Carter had left the room before continuing.

"Colonel, the President and the Joint Chiefs value your knowledge and experience and want your input on what next steps need to be taken, given your Black Ops missions from before you joined the SGC. And Major, the President wished any thoughts you might have on technology that we've discovered that could now be employed in the field to counteract terrorism."

"Does he want to see us, Sir?" Jack asked the obvious question.

"No, he's still on his way to Offut on Air Force One and he's working from there at the moment. He's on the phone with several key personnel as we speak, trying to find out who the perpetrators are. For the moment, he just wants us to have a discussion and for me to pass on any thoughts either of you had."

"Well, Sir, no new technology springs to mind but . . ." Sam began.

"Well, Major, you're the most knowledgeable in this field, so any thoughts would be useful."

Sam thought for a moment and then a crestfallen look crossed her face.

"Major?" Hammond questioned.

"Sorry, Sir, I just realised that healing devices would be good to use at the crash sites but I don't suppose I'd be allowed to use one." Her voice rose in an almost question, hoping that her CO would perhaps let her go.

"Sorry, Major, as good an idea as that is we couldn't use alien technology in that way." Hammond found it difficult to look Sam in the eye.

Sam sighed and tried again. "I suppose we also wouldn't be allowed to use any invisibility cloaks for the black op's troops?"

"Again, no. Is there any technology that's been back engineered and looks like an earth product that could be used?" Hammond asked, already knowing the answer.

"Not much, Sir. Most of that work's being done at Area 51 and, as far as I'm aware, any advances they've made are still classified and, to be honest, Sir, untested."

"Very well, Major." Hammond turned to Jack. "Colonel, do you have any preliminary thoughts?"

"What type of scenario is the President planning, Sir?" Jack asked, wanting more information before he responded.

"Information is just starting to come in from the security agencies. There's a group in Afghanistan that the NSA says has been threatening something big. Well, this is big and, to be honest, most of us believe the threat is from somewhere in the Middle East. Given that, the President and his advisors are looking at a possible incursion into enemy territory, although nothing can be decided until we know more about what we're up against. The priorities at the moment are securing the crash sites and being on the alert for any more terrorist acts."

"Well, Sir, I think the best thing would be for me to meet with the leaders of any teams that would be going and discuss strategy directly. In the meantime, I can come up with possible scenarios that could be adapted to fit whatever circumstances Intel may give us."

"My thoughts exactly, Colonel. Make yourself available for possible transport to DC or Camp Pendleton."

"Marines, Sir? Is that really the way to go?" Jack asked with disdain dripping from his words upon hearing the name of the Marine Base on the West Coast.

"Sorry, Jack. They're the ones best trained for this type of thing."

"Well, if you make it an order, I suppose I could give my wisdom to the Jarheads," he said despondently.

"Good. Oh, and Jack, the call will come today. Dismissed."

_SG1_

Four days later, Jack O'Neill wandered wearily from his truck towards his CO's house. He'd spent the last three days holed up in a small room at Camp Pendleton, discussing the options with a group of other black ops specialists. The final decision would rest with the President and the Joint Chiefs but they'd laid out several incursion scenarios for them to discuss. Just before he'd left he'd been told that the plan was for the teams to move in less than four weeks. There was definitely a part of him that wanted to be involved in it and help with the effort but, as he'd spent the whole day on Tuesday telling many people, they had a job to do, here at the SGC. He knew that as soon as the next galactic threat came along he'd lose this feeling of uselessness but for now it was very strong.

He'd come straight from the plane to Hammond's house as Hammond had left a message at the base for him to join himself, SG-1 and others from the base for a BBQ. They didn't often all meet off base but at times when Hammond felt his personnel needed a little pick-me-up he organised the small events. This was maybe number eight, and they usually came after they'd had a narrow escape or someone in the command hadn't made it back.

He took a quick look around the drive. Daniel's car was there, along with Janet's and, if he wasn't mistaken, he could hear Cassie's squeals coming from the back garden. Hammond's granddaughters must have also been there. He also spotted the Jeep that Siler used when his normal vehicle had had an unfortunate accident. Jack smirked. Typical Siler - if it wasn't his body he was damaging it was his precious vehicle. On the other side of the large drive he saw Carter's car and another smile crossed his face. He'd called her from Camp Pendleton to let her know he was on his way back. They hadn't been able to be as open with each other as they had at the cabin but he was hopeful of having a future with Car... Sam.

He walked up to the porch and knocked on the door. However, he could hear the group in the back garden from there and they were clearly so loud that no one would be able to hear his knock, so he walked around the side of the large house, passing the truck that the single marines of SG-3 used to cruise around town. They were notorious on a Friday or Saturday night, usually hitting one bar after another, but always making sure one of them was the designated driver . . . usually as a getaway car. Jack didn't envy Hammond having to control them. He looked over the large beast of a truck and was dismayed to see that it was a newer model than his. His shoulders slumped. There'd be no living with them now.

"Ah, Colonel, good of you to join us," Hammond said over the din as Jack came into view.

Jack walked over and shook Hammond's hand. "Thanks for the invite, Sir. Quite a shindig you have going here." Jack peered over Hammond's shoulder to see the BBQ going and groups of SGC personnel standing around talking.

"Well, it's been a difficult week. The base has been very subdued since you left. It was time to remember and be glad we're still here," Hammond answered quietly.

They were both quiet for a moment, thinking of all that had happened that week and all the lives that had been lost, some of whom were known personally to people at the SGC. Then Hammond spoke up again. "How did it go, Son?"

"Well, we spent a long time discussing options and speaking to others at the Pentagon. The CIA and NSA seem to have some leads so the teams are going to be preparing over the next couple of weeks for an incursion. They'll be ready to move out at a moment's notice as soon as we have confirmed proof as to who was behind it and where they're located."

"Very well." Hammond looked around the garden. "The rest of SG-1 are here somewhere. You should go and take some time to relax."

"Thank you, Sir." Jack walked away from the General, his eyes scanning the groups for his team.

He spotted them and wound his way across the garden. Sam's eyes lit up as she noticed him heading towards them. Beside her Daniel smiled in relief at seeing his friend.

"Sir!"

"Jack, good to see you!"

"Hey, guys, how're things?"

"Not bad, Jack. Glad you're back. We were worried you might actually be involved in the scenarios you've been planning and wouldn't be back for awhile" Daniel said, voicing the fear both he and Sam had had.

"Nope, the old knees aren't up to something like that. Besides, we have a job to do here.

"True, but all scheduled missions this week have been postponed. The President and Hammond felt we didn't need any other major crises to deal with," Daniel answered.

"They're right."

"I'm sure things will get back to normal soon," Sam said quietly. She was glad that he was back. Like Daniel she'd been very worried that his knowledge and experience would seem invaluable to someone up the chain of command and he'd be transferred to the teams going to find the terrorists. But as glad as she was that the Colonel was back, she really needed to talk to Jack. Had it only been last weekend that they'd talked of changing their lives and planning their future? What a rollercoaster of a week it had been.

"JACK!" Cassie barrelled into Jack. "C'mon, my team needs you!" She pulled him away to join the baseball game starting in the middle of the garden.

Oh, well, Sam thought, the middle of an SGC BBQ wouldn't be the place to have that discussion, anyway.

Several hours later, several people had already left, the light was fading, and everyone still there had overly full stomachs. Jack, Sam and Hammond found themselves sitting together on the patio.

Hammond looked at the two officers. "You know, this may sound strange, but I find it's at times like these that I miss my wife the most." Jack and Sam glanced at each other, surprised. Jack shrugged his shoulders. He knew a lot of the General's history and had spent time with him when they were off duty but the General rarely opened up on base. Sam, on the other hand, was a friend of the family and knew General Hammond's children and had also known his wife, but even for her it was a surprise to hear the General speak like this.

Hammond took a deep breath before continuing. "Usually during weeks like this in the past, I'd be able to go home and she'd remind me of what 'normal' was, of what I was fighting for, of what I had to come home to."

Jack nodded. He understood. He'd felt the same with Sara, and particularly with Charlie. However, he didn't comment as he noticed Hammond's faraway look. He was clearly reliving past events and Jack waited patiently for Hammond to continue.

"I appreciated the fact that even although my wife often didn't know what I'd been involved in she ensured that our family life continued as normal when I returned."

Sam smiled gently at him. She could remember one time when both General Hammond and her father had returned together and both wives had made sure that they were fully involved in family life within hours of them arriving home.

Hammond shook himself from memories of the past and turned to his two officers, people he counted as friends. "I suppose this is why I organise events like this. It's good to get together, to meet in 'normal' life, so to speak." He looked at Sam, who sat beside him on the patio, while Jack was opposite.

"So, did you both enjoy your downtime? Major, I was surprised . . . and I must say, pleased . . . not to see you on base over last weekend. Did you visit your brother?"

The look of panic that flitted across the Major's face made the General wish he hadn't brought up the subject. He couldn't miss the looks passing between Sam and Jack.

Jack could see the fear in Sam's face and decided to take the heat from her. They'd done nothing wrong and it seemed that fate had decided the topic he'd planned to leave for another time would be aired now.

"Carter came to Minnesota with me, Sir. Lots of fishing, relaxing, hiking . . . you know the drill," he said flippantly, while closely watching the emotions crossing his CO's face.

Hammond took a deep breath. Oh, this was a bad conversation to be having today and he didn't know if he was ready for this. However, when he looked between the two officers, he saw no guilt on their faces. There was concern and fear about the direction of the discussion, but no guilt. Hammond smiled gently.

"Did you come to any decisions?" he asked casually, knowing that having had that time alone, they would have had to have dealt with the feelings that had been bubbling between them for years.

Sam's face turned a beautiful shade of pink while Jack simply stared at his CO, amazed at his perceptiveness. It was, to Hammond's surprise, Sam who spoke up.

"Yes, Sir. We wanted to discuss some issues with you at a convenient time."

Hammond smiled at the young woman who, although she hadn't said much, had actually said a great deal and had effectively put all her cards on the table with one sentence, even if she didn't realise it herself.

"Well, Major, now that this crisis has been put to bed - at least from our perspective -and we're back to simply dealing with intergalactic crises, you could both come over for dinner one night and we could discuss the situation. I don't believe this is the best time to discuss it, with others present." Hammond looked at Jack with raised eyebrows. "I assume there'll be no regulation irregularities until then?"

"Uh . . . that would be fine . . . Sir," Jack stumbled through his sentence. "Thank you, Sir, and um, no . . . no irregularities."

"Good." Hammond focussed back on Sam. "And did you actually catch any fish in Jack's pond, where the fish grow this big?" Hammond stretched out his hands as Jack had done on many occasions. He smiled, throwing a quick glance in Jack's direction.

"Uh . . . no, Sir. The Colonel believes I scared them all away with my technobabble." Sam blushed saying such a thing to her CO.

"Yes, well, an interesting theory, Jack. It seems there's always something stopping you from catching one, isn't there!" he gently joked.

"I'm sure if you were to visit, Sir, they'd all line up to attention," Jack quickly riposted.

Hammond laughed. "Well, now, wouldn't that be a sight to see."

"Sam, Jack, we're all heading off now!" Daniel called from the kitchen where he, Janet and Teal'c had taken washing-up duty.

"Yeah, we're just coming, Danny boy." Jack stood up and turned to Sam.

Sam began to rise and then sat back down. She gently and discreetly took Hammond's hand from the armrest. "Thank you, Sir, for listening and not . . . jumping to conclusions," she said quietly, having not responded earlier to the General's offer to discuss the situation between her and Jack.

Hammond gently squeezed Sam's had and smiled, replying just as quietly. "No problem, Sam, you know I'd do anything within my power to help you."

Hammond stood and watched the group leave: Cassie was being held up between Teal'c and Daniel, Janet was picking up her picnic basket, and lastly the two officers were walking over to join their friends. He smiled and watched as Sam and Jack fell into step with each other, still not touching inappropriately, but it was clear that they'd decided that they could no longer ignore each other. For now, though, there were terrorists to find - not by his teams, though - and galactic emergencies to avoid. America would never be the same again, but it would fight back and would - hopefully - prevail. Then General Hammond would move heaven and earth to keep Colonel O'Neill and Major Carter at the SGC but allow them to share that life, together.

**AN: And there you have it, thanks to my beta for a great job, especially the rush today. If you wish to comment that would be great.**


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